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Winemaker's Notes

#75 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2011

The 2009 is super rich without being too heavy. Great texture and mouth feel. Dare I say the "iron fist in the velvet glove" ideal that I think all Pinot Producers secretly hope for. Super seductive and "brainy" at the same time. This wine will be great right out of the gate, but will have the potential to age well for at least 6-8 years, and maybe more!

Critical Acclaim

WS93

Wine Spectator - "Weaving together a complex array of earthy berry, spice and floral scents, this is full-bodied and deceptively firm and muscular. The core of ripe plum and blackberry flavors builds, sustaining depth and momentum. Drink now through 2018. 600 cases made. "

Loring Wine Company Winery

White writing software for the aerospace industry, Brian felt that he just wasn't busy enough, so he decided to moonlight as a winemaker starting in 1999. His sister, Kimberly, decided that Brian shouldn't have all the fun, so she decided to spend her free time away from work (designing data processing systems for credit card companies) at the winery as well. As the winery grew, more and more people kept bugging Brian and Kimberly, looking to buy their wines. It eventually go so annoying that in 2006, they decided to quit their day jobs and spend all their time at the winery, hoping to make enough wine to get everyone to stop complaining. They now produce about 6500 cases of wine a year, which seems to keep everyone happy.
View all Loring Wine Company Wines

About Russian River

The Russian River Valley is named as such due to its proximity to the Russian River, the river itself named for the Russian fur traders who came down from Alaska in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Russian River is agricultural land. While there is a focus on wine, beyond the vineyards are many small, family-owned farms cultivating everything from cattle to Christmas trees.

Notable Facts

The proximity of this cool river and the rolling fogs from the Pacific Ocean make the area amenable to cool-climate grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In fact, the region is quite known for its full-bodied, yet elegant Pinot Noir, as well as their ripe, yet lean Chardonnays. Within Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. Chalk Hill is the warmer of the two and furthest from the ocean, while Green Valley is cooler and closer to the water.

About California

It's not rare to see a wine's country of origin listed as "California." A country into itself in the wine world, California makes enough varieties and styles to match many European wine countries. It produces a diverse range of wines that span the quality spectrum.

The most famous of the California wine regions is Napa Valley, and these wines are certainly outstanding – but it's not as broad and diverse as its larger neighbor, Sonoma County. Down south, Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley is well-known for its Rhône blends, as well as cool-climate varieties like Pinot and Chardonnay. The Central Coast, the largest California AVA, has many different microclimates that lead to a wide range of wines with many sub-AVAs.

Alcohol By Volume Guide

Most wine ranges from 10-16% alcohol by volume. Some varietals tend to have higher (for example Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) or lower alcohol levels (Pinot Noir and many white varietals), but there is always some variation from producer to producer. Some wine falls outside of this range, for instance Port weighs in closer to 20%, while Muscat and Riesling are usually a bit below 10%.

Wine Style Guide

Light & Fruity

Red wines that are more fruit-forward and lighter in tannin and body.

Smooth & Supple

Medium bodied reds that go down easy, with smooth tannins and supple fruit.